Crossroads of the Unloved
by Virtual Spraypaint
Summary: When Team Gai is sent to investigate a tragedy in Sunagakure, two lone souls find unlikely refuge in each other. Gaara x Neji YAOI --UNDER CONSTRUCTION--


**Summary: When Team Gai is sent to investigate a tragedy in Sunagakure, two lone souls find unlikely refuge in each other. (Gaara x Neji) (YAOI)**

**A.N.: Wow, a pairing that many like although the interactions between these two are limited… I never thought I'd be writing this. But I had the idea in my head, so I might as well type it up, eh? **

**Other: Takes place before the events of Shippuden… I had no idea how to put this in a setting where it would make sense, so I thought 'Hey, why not just make 'em meet before Gaara's mind is corrupted by kindness?' **

**Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

_Crossroads of the Unloved_

_(A Gaara x Neji journey into the untouched subject of 'love')_

_Prologue_

Gaara, Sunagakure's improbable Kazekage, stared blankly out the window at the land, searching deep in his mind for the next decision to take in the tedious situation he was in. He could feel his sister behind him, pacing back and forth impatiently, tapping her finger on her chin, breathing unsteadily. They had been like this for two days now, just waiting for anything to come up. The circumstances took more of a toll on Temari then it did Gaara. Slowly but surely, she was beginning to lose her patience.

"How long will it be now?" she broke the uneasy silence. The room was dark, but she could see her brother slightly clench one of his fists. Her lip quivered. She knew Gaara was trying his best to solve the predicament. As much as she wanted to, she refused to cry. She couldn't cry in front of her brother. No, not the Kazekage.

"…he's not stupid, Temari," he said, turning to face her. "He's weak, but not stupid."

Temari sighed and sat on the bed she had been pacing around. She closed her eyes as she tried regaining her cool. "I don't see what you're getting at."

There was another silence. This one seemed denser than the one before. Temari glanced around Kankuro's room. She remembered how she had gotten angry when she didn't see Kankuro in his seat at the meeting with the merchants. She had rushed out of there, preparing to confront him about his disobedience, but when she couldn't locate him anywhere, she had gotten worried.

There was no note, not even a sign that he had left. Everything was in its place. Everyone in the immediate area soon conducted their own search. The news spread like an epidemic, yet no one spotted the puppeteer.

Gaara turned once again to face the moon-lit Sunagakure. "He wouldn't run off… it's just not something he would do." Gaara had the most reasonable reaction. When no one in Sunagakure could find him, he sent a distress letter to Konohagakure. Naruto was not there, but he felt that if he could have trust in the blond, he could attempt to trust others in the village. After all, it was only a three day trip from Suna to Konoha.

"Then what are you suggesting, huh?" Temari snapped a little too quickly. She blinked back a couple of stray tears. Gaara was silent. "That he was taken? Kidnapped? No. I refuse to believe it. Like you said, he's not stupid. He will know what to do…" she barely let one tear fall, hoping that Gaara wouldn't see it. "He's not weak either."

Gaara slowly turned, head down, and walked towards the door. He couldn't stand it when anybody cried. Even after Naruto had beaten some sense into him, he couldn't help but think that tears were a sign of weakness and defeat.

Before his hand could reach the handle, there was a series of desperate knocks. "Kazekage-sama! Konohagakure has responded!" Gaara opened the door to a rather jumpy man, one of the messengers. He crossed his arms as the messenger bowed.

"And?" Even though he asked this calmly, the messenger jumped a little.

"Um… oh, yes! The report, of course, of course," He pulled out a short scroll. Inwardly, Gaara wondered why the responses were always shorter than the messages he sent out. "Ahem, 'We have received the news that the Kazekage's sibling has turned up missing in Sunagakure. I, the Hokage, have offered to help in this dilemma by sending a skilled three-man squad in order to locate this missing-nin. Because this is a direct relative of the Kazekage, charges will vary. Expect my team to arrive in two to three days,' Signed by the Hokage. There are three names at the bottom of--"

Temari hurried towards Gaara and the messenger. "A three man squad? That's it?" The messenger seemed frightened by Temari's tone.

"Y-Y-Yes ma'am-- that's what it says," He handed the scroll to Gaara. Temari read over his shoulder.

"Team Gai: Tenten*****, Neji Hyuuga, and Rock Lee," Temari read quietly.

Gaara recognized two of the names from way back in the Chuunin exams, but was unfamiliar with them. He knew Lee, though. It had been almost two years back when he had helped Gaara defeat Kimimaro, he remembered. He knew Lee was not only skilled in Taijutsu, but determined and confident, like Naruto.

"Two Chuunin and one Jounin? Gaara, are you sure this will be enough? What if we have to search outside the village?"

Gaara rolled up the scroll and began walking down the dimly-lit hallway. "I trust this will be a good way to strengthen our alliance with the Leaf."

As Temari dismissed the messenger, she eyed her brother. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that he had at least some form of optimism. "Gaara?"

Gaara continued to walk, but Temari knew that he had heard her.

"Good night, Kazekage." She smiled warmly.

**WOOPIE! Pretty short, eh? Well that's okay, because this is the PROLOGUE! :D **

**Trust me, this will be longer. Prepare for the next chapter. Yes, there will be Neji.**

***Anyway, you might have noticed the asterisk next to Tenten's name. I was just wondering if she had a last name. I don't feel like checking Wikipedia :P**

**There's a button… it says review… can you click that button? FOR ME? O.O **

**Flames make me giggle, so don't waste your time. **


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